_Bladen’s POV_
Right as the evening set, I strode through the familiar halls of my grandfather’s estate. The polished floors gleamed under the dim lighting, reflecting the towering portraits of men who had built, expanded, and ruthlessly maintained the legacy I was now expected to uphold. One I had no problem doing.
The maids bowed their heads as I passed, a silent acknowledgment of my position, and I internally wondered why such demonstrations were still in play, just as unease crawled under my skin. I knew this meeting wasn’t just a formality. My grandfather never summoned me unless there was something important—and since he fell ill, everything had become important.
I reached the heavy wooden doors of his private study, one of the most exclusive rooms in the estate. It wasn’t just a place for reading or work; it was a domain only a select few family members ever entered. And it belonged solely to him.
Pushing the door open, I stepped inside. The usual scent of aged paper and e
